Chapter Seven

"I think this is funny."

AJ looked at Nicole; "What is?"

"Just a few hours ago you were taking my drinks away, insisting I slow down. Now you're starting the party back up and practically begging me to come."

He laughed at her comment. "Yeah well. You just got to know when to have the REAL fun."

She laughed back. They were stopping by her room so she could drop off her purse. When they stepped inside AJ decided to make the stop into a visit. He grabbed a pillow off the bed when she stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. She stepped out a few moments later and her face met a pillow. She almost got knocked over and looked over at AJ. "This is war," she proclaimed.

She wrestled the pillow out of his hands and swung at him, just narrowly missing. He ran over to the bed as she chased him, and grabbed another pillow to defend himself. They began a full-fledged pillow fight, which managed to turn into a wrestling match. She got thrown around the bed and took her revenge by managing to push him off the bed a few times. Loud noises and shrieks echoed in the room and down the hall because they had left the lock out—against the doorjamb--to keep the door open; thinking their trip was to be short.

A slight knock came at the door, but neither of the wrestlers heard it. Brian walked in with Jackie, Nick and Marie behind him. They stood just within the doorway wondering what was happening. Nick crept up behind Brian and said under his breath, "Well, I guess we were wrong on which Boy she wants." Brian snorted out a laugh. That was enough to interrupt the rumble.

AJ and Nicole turned their heads while he had her in a headlock. There were a few moments of silence when Nicole broke it. "Hi," she said half-helplessly, bring her hand up to wave. The other four broke out laughing at Nicole's position.

AJ let her out of the maneuver and noticed Nick had a bottle in his hand. He motioned his head towards it, "Whatcha got Nicky?"

"Just a few of your friends," he lifted his left hand with the bottle. "And a few of my friends," he lifted his right hand to show another bottle.

AJ replied. "Sweet." He sat up and helped Nicole up off the bed to sit. "Let's get this started." The others settled into a position on the bed. They sat in a circle and began to play different drinking games. Each was at different stages, but Nicole was the least intoxicated of the group, and they became rowdy themselves, yelling and harping from time to time.

They were in the middle of playing card games when a knock came at the door. Jackie ran up to get the door and opened it wide to see Kevin. He walked in, wearing a white T-shirt and baby blue cotton pajama pants, to see the party on Nicole's bed. "Hey, what's up guys."

They all responded with loud "Heys".

"Um, Kristin is trying to sleep if you guys don't mind quieting down a little."

They each snickered. Nicole could tell something was wrong with Kevin and decided to say something. "Oh come on Kev. Lighten up from her a little. Leave her try to sleep and join us."

"Nah, I can't do that."

AJ continued with the snickering. "Man, if you don't let her be by herself now and then, you'll never get to be yourself." Kevin began to think and walked out of the room. The talk in the room began about how Kevin is never himself anymore and all he worries about is Kristin and keeping her happy. No one understood why he did what he did, especially Nicole, after seeing how harsh she could be.

They continued on their game and still got loud when another knock came about fifteen minutes later. Nicole laughed and said, "I bet that's Kristin to tell us herself to be quiet." She got up to answer the door figuring to give her a good talk, if it was Kristin. She opened it to see Kevin. He had a bright smile on his face and she thought he looked heavenly. "Yes?" she inquired.

"I know I'm underdressed, but is it too late to join the party?" Nicole beamed back at him and moved to let him into the room. As soon as he walked in the party inside welcomed him with yells and hoots.

AJ was the first to ask what everyone was thinking. "Changed your mind? What happened?"

"Like I need a reason to be here?" Nicole could tell something else was the reason. He seemed more relieved than the first time he stopped by.

They each had their own shrug, or wonder. Brian turned to him and patted him on the back; "It's good to have you here man."

"Thanks." He turned to everyone, "So what's the game fellas?"

Nicole responded, "Well, we were playing partners, but you’re the odd man out."

AJ jumped at the chance during a silence to speak. "S'ok folks. Time for a change of game anyway."

"Oh, and what do you have in mind?" Nicole could tell by the devilish grin, AJ was about to make things interesting.

He snickered as he answered, "Random Thoughts. See what ya do is," he jumped up and grabbed an empty water bottle from the floor. "Spin the bottle, whoever it lands on you tell a random thought about. The next turn is taken by whoever the bottle landed on." They all seemed confused.

Marie chimed in, "Did you just make this lil' game here up?"

"No. I saw it on TV."

"What? Like on the Brady Bunch?" she asked in return as everyone laughed at AJ.

"Anyway, you only get ten seconds to give your random thought about the person. If you can't do it in the time, or you repeat something someone already said, you drink." He looked around to everyone and they seemed to understand.

Jackie wasn't buying into the game, "Only ten seconds?"

"Ten seconds is a long time. Come on, it'll work just fine." AJ decided to show it to them so he offered to go first.

The bottle landed on Nicole, "Oh, I can't wait to hear this." She was all smiles; while he remained silent, until his face lit up with an idea.

"Ok, I got it. When you first came on to work here. I could have sworn you were a fan, teenybopper type. You hardly talked to any of us without blushing or looking at your feet." He chuckled at his own comment. Meanwhile she was holding back a blush.

Laughing it off a moment later, she grabbed the bottle and spun it, landing on Brian. "Hmm. Well, I think you need a new haircut."

They all laughed when Jackie harped out, "Damn, you took mine." She laughed at him but then threw her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'm only playing."

The room fell upon calls of "Ooo" and AJ complaining, "Ok, cut that out!"

The game continued with a few drinks taken here and there when they took longer than the given ten seconds. Nicole's turn came again and she spun the bottle to herself. Asking what she was to do, AJ told them she had to answer a question from whoever last went, or she had to take a drink. It was last Nick's turn so he began to think of a good question and he did well. "Alright Nicole. If you could have any one of us five, who would you pick?"

Silence fell upon the group waiting for an answer. She began to feel the pressure of her answer and looked at AJ hoping he could provide some help or a diversion. He was of no hope as he shrugged his shoulders back at her. She breathed deeply pondering her answer when she grabbed the bottle and took a deep swig. The girls all wooed Nicole's decision. Nick responded to her drink. "We’ll just have to find that one out won't we?" he said as he looked around to the other guys.